This is a darker book than I usually like to read these days, but it is written in an engaging way and is entirely compelling.
It took me a long time to be sure I was reading something in the fantasy genre because other than the title it starts off seeming like a story about people living unique but otherwise ordinary lives in New York.
Reviews and Comments
An avid sci-fi and fantasy reader who sometimes does historical fiction or even mainstream.
You might notice that most of my reviews are 5 stars. That's because if I start reading a book that doesn't engage me, I stop reading it. Life is too short. I've realized that it's not fair to review a book I haven't read and nobody really needs to hear why I didn't get into a book especially when they might like it.
My goals with reviews are to be brief and give other potential readers an idea of why they might like the book. I leave it to the marketing people and other reviewers to describe the plots.
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"The wildly imaginative story of one man's thrilling odyssey through an enchanted world to find …
Review of 'The Changeling' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
David Scrimshaw reviewed The Changeling by Victor LaValle
About The Changeling “If the literary gods mixed together Haruki Murakami and Ralph Ellison, the …
Review of 'The changeling' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
This is a darker book than I usually like to read these days, but it is written in an engaging way and is entirely compelling.
It took me a long time to be sure I was reading something in the fantasy genre because other than the title it starts off seeming like a story about people living unique but otherwise ordinary lives in New York.
David Scrimshaw reviewed Bridge of birds by Barry Hughart
Review of 'Bridge of Birds' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
This is a delightful big fantasy novel. It increases my desire to learn Chinese mythology and I'm eager to read further adventures of Master Li and Number Ten Ox.
I love the way that Master Li introduces himself to everyone he meets: "My surname is Li and my personal name is Kao, and there is a slight flaw in my character."
Nobody ever asks him about the slight flaw. I'm afraid that wouldn't be the same if I introduced myself that way.
This is a delightful big fantasy novel. It increases my desire to learn Chinese mythology and I'm eager to read further adventures of Master Li and Number Ten Ox.
I love the way that Master Li introduces himself to everyone he meets: "My surname is Li and my personal name is Kao, and there is a slight flaw in my character."
Nobody ever asks him about the slight flaw. I'm afraid that wouldn't be the same if I introduced myself that way.
David Scrimshaw reviewed Irontown blues by John Varley
From a master of science fiction comes a brand-new noir novel set in the Eight …
Review of 'Irontown blues' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
I've been waiting for this book for a long time.
It didn't have as much outer space wonder and weirdness as other Varley books.
But it did have a sentient dog narrator, a cybernetically enhanced canine named Sherlock, and he was an absolute delight.
I am hoping that Varley liked writing him enough that we get another book with him.
I've been waiting for this book for a long time.
It didn't have as much outer space wonder and weirdness as other Varley books.
But it did have a sentient dog narrator, a cybernetically enhanced canine named Sherlock, and he was an absolute delight.
I am hoping that Varley liked writing him enough that we get another book with him.
Review of 'Tomorrow Factory: Collected Fiction' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
These are really good science fiction stories.
But they're not happy stories.
According to the bio, the author lives in Ottawa. So, I'm being careful to not annoy any strangers because I don't want to wind up being described as a jerk in a story.
These are really good science fiction stories.
But they're not happy stories.
According to the bio, the author lives in Ottawa. So, I'm being careful to not annoy any strangers because I don't want to wind up being described as a jerk in a story.
David Scrimshaw reviewed Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett (Founders trilogy series -- 1)
A thief in a city controlled by industrialized magic joins forces with a rare honest …
Review of 'Foundryside' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
I did not love this book the way I loved Bennet's Divine City series, but this was still pretty good.
It has a well thought-out magic system that made me wonder if these were people living inside a computer simulation who had found a way to hack the source code.
I'll definitely read the next installment in the series because I want to know what happens next.
I did not love this book the way I loved Bennet's Divine City series, but this was still pretty good.
It has a well thought-out magic system that made me wonder if these were people living inside a computer simulation who had found a way to hack the source code.
I'll definitely read the next installment in the series because I want to know what happens next.
"The arrival of vast, alien, inhuman intelligences reshaped the landscape fo human affairs across the …
Review of 'The Labyrinth Index: A Laundry Files Novel' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
I'm writing this review mainly for myself, because you're not going to start with the ninth book in a series. Although mainly you'll be interested in starting with [b:The Atrocity Archives|101869|The Atrocity Archives (Laundry Files, #1)|Charles Stross|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1440461724s/101869.jpg|322252] if you know that the series maintains and even builds on its energy.
It feels funny to see that it's #9 and Stross is still finding ways to make it fresh and interesting. This was a highly satisfying volume in the Laundry Files. It was particularly fun to spend more time with people who had smaller roles in previous stories.
I'm writing this review mainly for myself, because you're not going to start with the ninth book in a series. Although mainly you'll be interested in starting with [b:The Atrocity Archives|101869|The Atrocity Archives (Laundry Files, #1)|Charles Stross|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1440461724s/101869.jpg|322252] if you know that the series maintains and even builds on its energy.
It feels funny to see that it's #9 and Stross is still finding ways to make it fresh and interesting. This was a highly satisfying volume in the Laundry Files. It was particularly fun to spend more time with people who had smaller roles in previous stories.
David Scrimshaw reviewed Labyrinth Index by Charles Stross
"The arrival of vast, alien, inhuman intelligences reshaped the landscape fo human affairs across the …
Review of 'Labyrinth Index' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
I'm writing this review mainly for myself, because you're not going to start with the ninth book in a series. Although mainly you'll be interested in starting with [b:The Atrocity Archives|101869|The Atrocity Archives (Laundry Files, #1)|Charles Stross|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1440461724s/101869.jpg|322252] if you know that the series maintains and even builds on its energy.
It feels funny to see that it's #9 and Stross is still finding ways to make it fresh and interesting. This was a highly satisfying volume in the Laundry Files. It was particularly fun to spend more time with people who had smaller roles in previous stories.
I'm writing this review mainly for myself, because you're not going to start with the ninth book in a series. Although mainly you'll be interested in starting with [b:The Atrocity Archives|101869|The Atrocity Archives (Laundry Files, #1)|Charles Stross|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1440461724s/101869.jpg|322252] if you know that the series maintains and even builds on its energy.
It feels funny to see that it's #9 and Stross is still finding ways to make it fresh and interesting. This was a highly satisfying volume in the Laundry Files. It was particularly fun to spend more time with people who had smaller roles in previous stories.
Review of "Death's Excellent Vacation" on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
This collection was a good way to sample a bunch of fantasy series.
Spoiler Alert: Fantasy characters don't seem to have much luck having relaxing, fun vacations.
Bonus: One character spends much of the story as a talking dog.
This collection was a good way to sample a bunch of fantasy series.
Spoiler Alert: Fantasy characters don't seem to have much luck having relaxing, fun vacations.
Bonus: One character spends much of the story as a talking dog.
David Scrimshaw reviewed City of Bones by Martha Wells
“Khat, a member of a humanoid race created by the Ancients to survive in the …
Review of 'City of Bones' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
I've liked the Martha Wells Murderbot books so much that I thought it would be a good idea to try one of her older books.
It turned out to be a good decision, and also a surprise. Because City of Bones is nothing like the Murderbot books.
You know in Calvin and Hobbes when the image would switch from the simple line drawings of the regular cartoon to incredibly detailed painting like images, so you'd realize that Waterson could draw any picture he wanted to? This is like that. Murderbot although incredibly powerful is sweet and naive and the adventures are like something in a comic book.
City of Bones has a Byzantine culture and the main character is a jaded outsider who has mostly learned how to navigate his way to survive. I found it entirely satisfying.
Martha Wells can clearly write any kind of story she wants to.
I've liked the Martha Wells Murderbot books so much that I thought it would be a good idea to try one of her older books.
It turned out to be a good decision, and also a surprise. Because City of Bones is nothing like the Murderbot books.
You know in Calvin and Hobbes when the image would switch from the simple line drawings of the regular cartoon to incredibly detailed painting like images, so you'd realize that Waterson could draw any picture he wanted to? This is like that. Murderbot although incredibly powerful is sweet and naive and the adventures are like something in a comic book.
City of Bones has a Byzantine culture and the main character is a jaded outsider who has mostly learned how to navigate his way to survive. I found it entirely satisfying.
Martha Wells can clearly write any kind of story she wants to.
David Scrimshaw reviewed Persepolis Rising by James S. A. Corey
Review of 'Persepolis Rising' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
These guys are certainly not just coasting. I'm looking forward to #8
These guys are certainly not just coasting. I'm looking forward to #8
David Scrimshaw reviewed Divine misfortune by A. Lee Martinez
Review of 'Divine misfortune' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
A book by A. Lee Martinez is guaranteed to be fun and have characters you like.
This one has a bunch of gods and the main one is a luck god who mostly manifests as a talking raccoon.
And a talking raccoon is at least as good as a talking cat.
Review of 'Kill the Farm Boy: The Tales of Pell' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
Until I looked this up on Goodreads and saw "The Tales of Pell #1" I didn't know there would be more books in this series. That there will be at least one more is excellent news.
If you like kind-of-goofy fantasy stories that aren't all dark and gloomy where characters have a remarkably modern sensibility, this is for you.
Warning: There are puns. But not too many for me, and I'm known for not liking puns. I think I'm okay with them here because it's the characters who say them, not the narrator, and it's not like when you're talking to someone who is only listening for words you say that they can make puns on and don't really care about what you're actually talking about.
Bonus: There is a talking goat. And he's a lot of fun. Easily as much fun as a talking cat. Perhaps not as much …
Until I looked this up on Goodreads and saw "The Tales of Pell #1" I didn't know there would be more books in this series. That there will be at least one more is excellent news.
If you like kind-of-goofy fantasy stories that aren't all dark and gloomy where characters have a remarkably modern sensibility, this is for you.
Warning: There are puns. But not too many for me, and I'm known for not liking puns. I think I'm okay with them here because it's the characters who say them, not the narrator, and it's not like when you're talking to someone who is only listening for words you say that they can make puns on and don't really care about what you're actually talking about.
Bonus: There is a talking goat. And he's a lot of fun. Easily as much fun as a talking cat. Perhaps not as much fun as a talking rodent, but he's good. This talking goat, Gustave, has a personality that is consistent with the personality of goats that I met in my youth.
David Scrimshaw reviewed Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson
Review of 'Red Moon' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
This is hard science fiction in the believable space ship sense.
It's also social science fiction in how it deals with politics and political movements.
It's also, and this is the main thing for me, a story about people that I found myself caring about right from the beginning.
I really like how in Robinson's recent fiction he shows how systems could change to make things better.
This is hard science fiction in the believable space ship sense.
It's also social science fiction in how it deals with politics and political movements.
It's also, and this is the main thing for me, a story about people that I found myself caring about right from the beginning.
I really like how in Robinson's recent fiction he shows how systems could change to make things better.